Second incidence of residents reporting suspicious activity in a month leads to arrests in Bloomfield Hills

Reports from local residents who’ve kept their eyes open have, for the second time in less than a month, led to arrests in Bloomfield Hills.

A Rochester Hills man was recently charged after, police said, he tried to get into a Bloomfield Hills family’s home by posing as a Home Depot employee and then leading police on a several-mile car chase.

Larry David Giffin, 43, was arraigned Wednesday in 48th District Court and charged with fleeing and eluding police. His bond was set at $150,000.

Giffin’s charge comes from a Sunday call to police that the 43-year-old was trying to get into a home in the 4300 block of Lahser Road. When officers arrived, Giffin left in a silver Ford full-size van, authorities said.

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Giffin led police on a chase for several miles, traveling through Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills. He eventually stopped in Pontiac, where he was arrested.

Following Giffin’s arrest, police found that the van he was driving had been stolen from Chesterfield Township. Inside of the van were also several items suspected to have been stolen from the Bloomfield Hills area.

Bloomfield Hills Public Safety Department Chief David Hendrickson said that the suspect’s capture can be traced back to a Bloomfield resident who had seen a suspicious person earlier in the week, then saw another one again and called authorities right away.

“There are many legitimate contractors working in our neighborhoods but the increased construction and landscaping projects can bring in potential criminals looking for crimes of opportunity,” said Hendrickson. “I’m happy that the residents of our city feel comfortable enough with police to call about any issue that they believe is important.

“It can often lead to preventing crimes, and ideally, keeping our residents safe and comfortable.”

Giffin is expected to face further charges from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, reported officials.

The arrest of the Rochester Hills man is the most recent since mid-September, when four men from out of state were arrested after a Bloomfield Hills resident called public safety officers to report the men were selling magazine subscriptions door-to-door — something that requires a permit in the community.

After the men were arrested for soliciting, cited and walked across the Bloomfield Hills border, they were arrested again in Bloomfield Township for car jacking. During the investigation, police said they found evidence that the men drove the stolen car to Detroit’s west side and carried out an armed robbery where a victim was stabbed.

The band of four men — who range in age from 23 to 26 years old — come from Chicago, Shreveport, La., Birmingham, Ala., and Memphis, Tenn. They now face potential charges tied to the incidents in Oakland and Wayne counties.

Bloomfield Hills’ Hendrickson said arrests such as Sunday’s incident and the Sept. 15 string of arrests are perfect examples of why no complaint is too small.

“We welcome any and all calls about suspicious activity, and about anything,” Hendrickson said. “We have no problem going out to someone’s house to make sure everyone is safe and everything’s OK.”

A Rochester Hills man has been charged after, police say, he tried to get into a Bloomfield Hills family’s home by posing as a Home Depot employee and then leading police on a several-mile car chase.

Larry David Giffin, 43, was arraigned Wednesday in 48th District Court and charged with fleeing and eluding police. His bond was set at $150,000.

Giffin’s charge comes from a Sunday call to police that the 43-year-old was trying to get into a home in the 4300 block of Lahser Road. When officers arrived, Giffin left in a silver Ford full-size van, authorities say.

Giffin led police on a chase for several miles, traveling through Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills. He eventually stopped in Pontiac, where he was arrested.

Following Giffin’s arrest, police found that the van he was driving had been stolen from Chesterfield Township. Inside of the van were also several items suspected to have been stolen from the Bloomfield Hills area.

Bloomfield Hills Public Safety Department Chief David Hendrickson said that the suspect’s capture can be traced back to a Bloomfield resident who had seen a suspicious person earlier in the week, then saw another one again and called authorities right away.

“There are many legitimate contractors working in our neighborhoods but the increased construction and landscaping projects can bring in potential criminals looking for crimes of opportunity,” said Hendrickson.

Griffin is expected to face further charges from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, officials report.

About the Author

John Turk covers the police beat and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners for The Oakland Press. He is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University. Reach the author at john.turk@oakpress.com
or follow John on Twitter: @jrturk.